Chalangel  Hotaru Tomoe Rescued
by Daniel Jess Gibson
Summary: I know the idea of a New Bet, where Hotaru Tomoe was rescued by another Anime character, went no where, but Hotaru had a place where she was wanted and needed.  Such a fuku'd up idea deserves to be flung upon the unsuspecting masses.
1. Chapter 1

I know the idea of a New Bet (Hotaru Tomoe rescued by another Anime character) went no where, but I had this little gem sitting around. Such a fuku'd up idea deserves to be flung upon the unsuspecting masses.

**Disclaimer:** The Bet and Toltiir both are concepts created by Gregg Sharp. Hotaru Tomoe is a creation of Naoko Takeuchi. I own the rights to neither Neon Genesis Evangelion, nor Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. I neither intend to demean the aforementioned works, nor threaten the creators' livelihood.

Chalangel - by Daniel Gibson

**Author's Note:** The characters are OOC from their canonical series, but they've have years to work on each other.

C&C, MSTs are welcome

. . . Rei Ayanami heard the voices as she regained consciousness.

. . . "How is she?" came the Commanders voice, gruff but concerned.

. . . _We all know what is coming,_ she thought, keeping silent so she could listen, always listen, _He does not dare show that he cares, except to the 1st Children._

. . . "She'll heal," female voice, amused, her friend, "I'll see to that."

. . . "The Angels have been spotted, I'll need you both," the Commander told them, "And yes, Rei, I know you're listening."

. . . _I can practically see their smiles at that,_ she thought as she crafted a smile her friend had taught her, _I do not see how it can be 'efficient', it is ambiguous in meaning._

. . . "Are you prepared to go out alone? The 3rd Children will be arriving shortly, we may need to delay the Angel."

. . . _I need not see her worry,_ Rei thought as she took her sister-in-all-but-blood's hand.

. . . "Commander . . . I - "

. . . "I said delay not destroy," the Commander said warmly, with a touch of his characteristic sharpness.

. . . "Yes, Commander, that I can do," the voice said, relieved, "Who did you send?"

. . . "Katsuragi Misato."

. . . _I can feel her cringe,_ Rei thought as she opened her eyes, and shut them as the brightness launch into her brain, sending streamers of pain through it, _It matches my own._

. . . "Maya might have been a better choice," her friend chided the Commander, "Drunk, Maya's a better driver than the Captain is sober."

. . . "Maya had more important duties."

. . . "Yes, Commander."

. . . Rei heard the footsteps receding.

. . . "Ayanami-san."

. . . _She always begins her lectures with 'Ayanami-san',_ Rei thought.

. . . "Why do you keep doing this?"

. . . "Because it gives you purpose," Rei replied without deceit. _Since the EVAs and their development, you would be shunted to the sidelines,_ Rei thought, _After all you have done, that is not correct. Besides, I had little choice._

. . . "You rest, they'll be calling you soon."

. . . "Please." Rei knew she rarely used that word. "Please tell Makoto-san, my injuries were not her fault. Had I been more attentive . . . "

. . . "Mako-chan needs to remember that regular people are a lot more fragile than she is," the voice told her gently.

. . . Rei felt the kiss on her forehead.

. . . "Get some sleep," she was told, "They'll be calling for you in a hour or so."

. . . "Two hours?" she asked, replaying an old joke.

. . . "Okay, I think I can managed to keep it occupied for two hours. Then we can go swimming, the lake will be warm."

. . . Rei nodded, despite how much it hurt to do so. She let her mind relax, let darkness wrap itself around her and sleep take her. _They have come, this time there will be no more deaths._

---------------------------------------------------------

. . . _The room's dark,_ she thought, _Which neither surprises nor hinders me._ The door closed behind her, as the guard locked it. The darkness was total, but she'd walked this path many times. The smells of the place still confused her, but she continued. _No time like the present,_ she thought. "Mako-chan, Mako-chan, Rei will be fine." She didn't expect an answer, she didn't get one, so she continued, "She understands and doesn't blame you for anything."

. . . _Change the subject!_ she told herself, _She probably feels badly enough as it is, something happier._

. . . "She tried one of your recipes, made cookies for the whole command staff. They were a little funny looking . . . you know Rei." She took a Rei-like pose, not too difficult for her, " 'The taste is the important thing', and they were delicious."

. . . Only the constant sound of heavy machinery and the drop of liquid broke the silence. _So I'll break it myself,_ she thought with a trace of irony. "The Angels have returned," she said, "You must have sensed them already, that's why . . . you lost control with Rei-chan. Just because she's quiet, that doesn't mean she doesn't care the way you do, the way the others . . . did. She just wants to do it right, she knows that after Second Impact, we can't afford the casualties and property damage that used to be part of the battles you fought when you were her age. You both want to end a battle quickly, she just doesn't want anybody hurt . . . like what you said in Antarctica. Just give her a chance, and I'll sure you'll be fast friends."

. . . She paused, wondering whether to add this, knowing Makoto's tendencies. "We're getting another pilot, the commander's own son." _I can practically hear her drooling,_ she thought, "I think he's going to be Yui's pilot. Don't sulk, please, we'll need you." She smiled, listened, silence. "I've got to go and do my job. Don't sulk, I'll leave some of the monster for you and Rei." She turned and left.

---------------------------------------------------------

. . . Shinji Ikari was not impressed. _Great, I get stuck with this oversexed weirdo, yeah, she'd pretty, but she can't drive,_ he thought as grabbed on to something in the car and noted Misato's disappointment that it wasn't her, _Maybe she drives this way on purpose, and what's with that attitude, what is she, twelve?_ He sighed and centered himself. _If this is my dad's secretary, well she'd have to be, I know he doesn't employ her for her brain. What other kind of weirdos has he surrounded himself with? If he dragged me out here, for something stupid and selfish, I'm really going to be depressed._ He stared out the window at the U.N. forces battling the angel that had tried to step on him.

. . . "Uh, Misato-san, why did all the planes scatter like that?" he asked.

. . . "An S2 mine!" Misato shrieked and drove off the road, this time on purpose. She drove the car into a ditch and released her seatbelt.

. . . "What's goin- !?" His question was smothered as Misato threw herself on top of him. _I know guys who'd want to do this, but she stinks like brewery! A chili brewery!_ he thought as the earth moved for both of them, as the car flipped end over end. _She likes it really rough!_ Shinji thought worriedly.

---------------------------------------------------------

. . . Gendo stared at the screen, temporarily blanked due to the effect of the blast. Below him, on their level, the generals were celebrating. He waited.

. . . "We have her on a side-band Commander," Maya supplied.

. . . "Patch her through to the main screen," he ordered.

. . . The picture was shaky and grainy. _Considering it is being shot through a handheld camera,_ he thought with a touch of pride, _It's not bad._

. . . The image showed the creature, badly injured, but basically intact. Below him, the general's speculated and exclaimed, their best attack had only scratched the surface.

. . . "Commander," came the voice from the remote location, "I can hit it again, but that might endanger Tokyo-3."

. . . The Commander smiled, and hid it instantly. _She plays her role well,_ he thought as he stood up and looked down, both literally and figuratively, at the generals. "Gentlemen?" he asked, as they absorbed the sheer size of the blast crater.

. . . "Very well, Ikari," the lead general said, "We leave it in your hands." The sank out of sight, and out of his plans.

. . . "Very well, Hotaru, return to base. Captain Katsuragi's car should be nearby. Our new pilot might like to see a friendly face."

. . . "Yes, Commander." The transmission ended.

. . . "Commander Fuyutsuki," he said as he stood, "Please take care of this." He walked out of the command center. _I should make my report to them,_ he thought with a streak of real malice.


	2. Chapter 2

I know the idea of a New Bet (Hotaru Tomoe rescued by another Anime character) went no where, but I had this little gem sitting around. Such a fuku'd up idea deserves to be flung upon the unsuspecting masses.

Chalangel Part 2 - by Daniel Gibson

**Disclaimer:** The Bet and Toltiir both are concepts created by Gregg Sharp. Hotaru Tomoe is a creation of Naoko Takeuchi. I own the rights to neither Neon Genesis Evangelion, nor Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon. I neither intend to demean the aforementioned works, nor threaten the creators' livelihood.

**Author's Note:** The characters are OOC from their canonical series, but they've have years to work on each other.

C&C, MSTs are welcome

. . . Gendo walked into the most secret part of NERV. He looked up at the figure crucified on the wall, the odd twin-pronged polearm piercing its chest. The creature's seven eyes were closed.

. . . Gendo wasn't fooled, he knew he was being watched. "They have returned," he told the figure hanging from the wall, "We will destroy them."

. . . Several of the huge eyes opened, each revealing a girl's or a woman's face.

. . . "You can't do this! You can't keep us here!" the highest one whined.

. . . "After what you did in Antarctica?" Gendo scoffed, "You are fortunate to even be alive. If the others ever found out what you were planning, they would be down here in an instant, and your deaths would not be pleasant."

. . . "It was for the good of Mankind," a cooler voice from the bottom-most of the seven eyes told him.

. . . "You failed. Your plan to destroy us by ice failed, instead we were scourged by fire. Half the population destroyed and it rarely snows anywhere but the highest peaks. Crystal Tokyo should have been sheltering the remnants of the population by now. Its cornerstone lies under 600 meters of water."

. . . "You bastard!" another voice told him.

. . . "I wasn't planning to sacrifice an innocent, little girl to end the world and bring about my dreams. The pilots will know the stakes and that they may be expected to die to save the world. So which of us is the monster?"

. . . "When we get free -"

. . . "Wait!" another voice called, "Makoto . . . is she all right?"

. . . Gendo nodded. "She is . . . rougher than necessary. I think once she has someone to look after, she will settle down."

. . . "Thank you," the voice told him, and her eye closed.

. . . "WAAH! Don't turn off the lights!" Two massive streams of L.C.L. poured out of the topmost face's eyes.

(Hey this is workplace safe, I'm not going to follow the canon sources on that little tidbit!)

. . . Gendo left, turning the lights off, then stepping back and turning them on, then off again, crushing hope and increasing L.C.L. production.

------------------------------

. . . "Ready!" Misato ordered, "Heave!"

. . . Shinji pulled until his feet slipped on the dirt. The car remained on its side. _Rocking it isn't the answer,_ Shinji realized, _With the angle of the ground, it's more likely to end up on its roof._ He looked up and saw a girl with black-purple hair and violet eyes, leaning against some kind of polearm, staring at him, smiling.

. . . "You're willing to work, and Rei's right, you are pretty."

. . . Shinji blushed at that, but eyes intent on how sharp the polearm looked and how nice she looked in her leotard/skirt combo. He kept his mouth shut. _She's cute,_ he thought, _Weird, but cute._

. . . She smiled at him again. He felt himself smiling back.

. . . "Good, you can help me teach Rei to do that, her smile even scares the Commander," she told him with a happy tone. She focused on Misato, saluted. "The Angel is wounded, but it will be ready to move soon. The Commander wants to deploy the EVAs."

. . . "But Rei - " Misato began.

. . . The girl pushed Misato's car back on its wheels with one hand.

. . . _Definitely weird,_ Shinji thought, noting Misato's surprise, but not amazement.

. . . The girl smiled at him as she pulled his pack from the car. "You need to visit Makoto before you go out." She leaned close. "She isn't as scary as Captain Katsuragi's cooking."

. . . "Come on Shinji, let's go," Misato said, trying to wipe the dirt and debris from her dress.

. . . "I'll take him back, he needs to meet Rei anyway."

. . . Before either Shinji or Misato could protest, he vanished.

------------------------------

. . . And rematerialized in a hospital room.

. . . "GAAAHH! Wha - where - how?!" He focused on the mummy in the bed who was watching him with red eyes, her blue hair peeking out between the bandages.

. . . "Here he is," the girl told the mummy, "And you were right, Rei, he is yummy. You can take him out Saturday nights, I'll take Sunday afternoons, we can share him the rest of the week."

. . . "Is she alive in there?" Shinji stammered.

. . . "Yes, thank you Hotaru," the girl in the bed said, "You should show him."

. . . "Rei, you are a spoilsport," the girl, Hotaru, said. Suddenly the girl spun around in the middle of a light show too bright to let him really see any of the good parts. Suddenly, a girl in a school uniform more plain and less revealing stood there. The huge polearm was gone, replaced by a thick, gold pen, like some VIPs used. She smiled warmly and sat at the edge of the bed, somehow avoiding all the wires and tubes going into the mummy.

. . . "I really rather stay the other way," she said, not as bright or brash as she had been, "I've always been a bit frail, so I prefer staying transformed."

. . . "Wait! You and that other girl are the same?" Shinji couldn't believe it. "There are . . . similarities, but . . . " he stammered.

. . . The transformation somehow makes her look different," the mummy said in a tone that implied it was obvious.

. . . Shinji nodded.

. . . "Understand this," the dark-haired girl said softly, "That thing outside was trying to kill you."

. . . "I know nobody could drive that bad by accident!" Shinji said, smiled. The dark-haired girl smiled.

. . . The mummy seemed to consider. "I believe driving by accident is the Captain's way."

. . . "That's twice somebody called her 'Captain'. Is that her uniform? And is she an army captain, or a navy captain?"

. . . "Army, I think if you gave her command of a ship," the dark-haired girl said, "She'd run it into something and blow it up. I'm Tomoe Hotaru, by the way." She bowed. This is Ayanami Rei, don't bow."

. . . "Ikari Shinji." He returned the bow.

. . . "We're the First Children, you're the Third Children."

. . . "Why 'Children' and not 'Child'?"

. . . "There's two of us, of course," Hotaru told him with a shy grin.

. . . Shinji blinked, trying to figure that out.

. . . "We are the First, then there were others," Rei told him, as if that explained everything.

. . . "Okay, is why am I the Third?"

. . . "There is another," Rei intoned.

. . . _Thank you, Mummy Obvious,_ Shinji didn't say. "So why am I here?"

. . . "In the Beginning - "

. . . "I think he meant at NERV, Rei-chan," Hotaru interrupted, then whispered to Shinji, "Don't get her started on metaphysics: talk, talk, talk, talk, she'll never shut up."

. . . "Makoto," Rei said.

. . . _Gee, you two are as cryptic as my dad used to be. No wonder he kept you two and sent me to live with his brother._

. . . "Of course, but I have to show Shinji something," Hotaru said and carefully unwrapped one of Rei's forearms, scrapes and a huge bruise were the principle elements. Shinji hissed in sympathetic pain. Hotaru touched two spots fairly free of scabs, and concentrated. While Shinji watched the scabs fell off, the bruise went from purple-black, to yellow, to gone. As Hotaru sagged, he helped her sit on the edge of the bed.

. . . "You didn't freak out," Hotaru said, smiling broadly.

. . . "No," Shinji said, "I nearly got stomped by a giant monster, was driven to safety by a hard-up drunk who thinks she's the reincarnation of Dale Earnhart, then someone nuked the monster, and you can heal bruises and scabs. No offense, but whoopee-do!"

. . . "Let's take him to see Makoto," Hotaru said, "Shinji, I want you to know, I'll watch out for you. You might get hurt, but I'll make sure you recover."

. . . "Oh . . . thanks."

------------------------------

. . . Shinji pushed Rei's wheelchair in front of him, even then, he had to stop occasionally as Hotaru tired easily. "You okay?"

. . . "Sorry, healing takes a lot out of me," Hotaru explained, then stood and started walking again. She signaled to the guards to let them pass, which the guards did.

. . . They stepped inside a large room and the doors closed behind them, cutting off all the light. Ahead of him, dim lights were eclipsed, then the sound of heavy doors opening.

. . . "Hey, it's dark!" Shinji complained.

. . . "Don't worry, it's straight ahead. I just want to warn you, Makoto is kind of sensitive about how she looks. Just give her a chance and she can be really friendly."

. . . Hotaru led him onto a metal track as he pushed Rei's wheelchair. Then the lights came on.

. . . "Whoa! A face - it's a giant robot!" he shouted with shock, but little fear.

. . . The green and white robot sat in a huge pool, making it look like it was resting in a hot spring.

. . . "Ah . . . hello, Miss Makoto." He waved nervously to the behemoth.

. . . "She can't talk or move," Hotaru said with a laugh, "She does hear you though."

. . . "This is . . . "

. . . "This is how we'll fight the enemy . . . , the Angels," Hotaru intoned, then she and Rei laughed maniacally.

. . . Shinji took a backward step towards the door, then another . . . and discovered the doors were locked behind him. Their laughter changed from threatening to hilarious.

. . . "You - should - see - your - face!" Hotaru managed between laughs, "It's not as bad as it sounds, or as we sounded. Rei will pilot Makoto back you up. I'll be in the plug to explain things as we go along."

. . . "So why can't you do it?" Shinji exclaimed desperately.

. . . "I can't synchronize with the EVAs," Hotaru said and laughed, then grew serious, "Do you want the whole world to die?"

. . . "I don't want me to die!" Shinji shouted back.

. . . "I showed you what would happen if you got hurt. You could be a great hero . . . everyone singing your praises. Parades, endorsement contracts. Pretty girls wanting your autograph." Hotaru coughed. "And other things."

. . . "Ah, that stuff never really interested me," Shinji admitted.

. . . "Okay," Hotaru told him, "Pretty boys wanting - "

. . . "**That's not what I meant!**" Shinji shouted, his fists clenching and unclenching.

. . . "You would have no trouble obtaining violinists for a string quartet," Rei offered.

. . . "Where is this robot?! It can't be that bad." Shinji marched through the bays, intent on embracing his destiny.

. . . "Rei-chan," Hotaru said, "You scare me sometimes."

------------------------------

. . . Gendo threw down the papers and stomped on them in a fury. While his mouth and mind shaped curses, silence reigned. _I had this wonderful speech to crush his spirit and turn him into a whiney, pathetic brat. All for nothing!_ he thought, as he continued his silent tantrum, _Hotaru is loyal, but she never lets me have any fun!_

------------------------------

. . . Misato ran onto the bridge. Commander Fuyutsuki and Ritsuko were there also, overseeing Shinji's first sync test. "Why didn't you wait for me?" Misato demanded.

. . . "Because you're mostly for fan-service," Fuyutsuki told her, "So in a purely text medium, you're redundant."

. . . When Misato picked herself off the deck, she glared at the NERV deputy commander.

. . . Dr. Akagi patted her on the shoulder. "We also need you for comic relief. PenPen can't carry the full load."

. . . Misato walked away, intent on doing violence to all of Ritsuko's cigarettes.

------------------------------

. . . Shinji looked at the two linked chairs. "We just sit in there?" he asked.

. . . "Then they load us aboard the entry plug." Hotaru pointed at the golden tube beside the EVA.

. . . "That looks like your pen," Shinji said, then noticed how nervous Hotaru had suddenly gotten. "It's going to do something weird, right?"

. . . "Oh, no!" she assured him, "I've done it dozens of times. I'm not weird, am I?" She pouted cutely.

. . . "Ah, no, I guess not." Shinji thought, _If this turns out to be my dad's idea of a practical joke, I'm going to be really depressed._ He sat in the seat, with Hotaru in the seat behind him. In the distance, Rei was being loaded aboard the other EVA.

------------------------------

. . . Rei looked at all the error messages around her, indicating a failure to sync with Unit 00 again. She frowned, really frowned. "I see no point in this. It is not truly necessary." The alarm warnings still glared at her from the surface of the plug. She shook her head, admitting defeat. "Jupiter EVA Power Make-up."

. . . The glare of synchronization momentarily blinded Rei. As the light faded, Rei looked at her nails. _Of course they are painted green, from past experience, I have lip gloss and eye shadow of a similar color._ "With my complexion," Rei said, as Unit 00 started out of its cradle to the launch tubes. "Green is not appropriate, it makes me look more cadaverous." Rei had the feeling the comment was falling on deaf ears.

. . . _Change tactics,_ she thought. "I'll never get a boyfriend if I look too cadaverous."

. . . There was another synchronization flash. When it faded, Rei noted her nails were flat jet black with a different green planetary symbol on each of them. _I do not want to know what my face looks like,_ she thought as she reached the launch tube.

------------------------------

. . . "We're almost in," Hotaru told Shinji as she at behind him in the entry plug, "Then we'll take Yu - Unit 01 out after Rei in Unit 00."

. . . "Don't we need uniforms or something?" Shinji asked nervously.

. . . "It's taken care of," Hotaru reassured him, smiling at the back of his head and praying she wouldn't start giggling. _Now we find out how open-minded he is. Kensuke was such a prude about it. It's why we purified his thoughts and tossed him out of the program._

. . . The plug was released and rotating to seat itself.

. . . "**Super EVA Power!**"

. . . The flash of synchronization filled the tube as they spun.

. . . "What was - AUGH!" Shinji screamed, "What happened to my clothes?!"

. . . Dr. Akagi's face appeared on a screen. "The bows and skirt are standard to the uniform."

. . . "And the stiletto-heeled boots?" Shinji asked uneasily.

. . . "Stiletto . . . how long are the heels?"

. . . "I don't know - twenty - twenty-five centimeters."

------------------------------

. . . Gendo watched Ritsuko wipe the drool off her chin.

. . . "How high do the boots go. Don't be embarrassed. It's all for - science."

. . . _Scientific, like the peanut butter and those ropes? The only thing scientific about this, is how much drool until you short out the Magi,_ Gendo thought, as he summoned a janitor.

. . . "Mid thigh, black leather, no, zipper."

. . . "Thank you, Shinji."

. . . "Hey! What about all the bows and - stuff?"

. . . "The uniforms were originally designed for girls. Confidence is very important in winning a war. The uniforms were meant to inspire confidence. Akagi out." Ritsuko cut the connection.

. . . "Mid thigh with 9 inch heels!" Maya said lustily, then she and Ritsuko embraced and did a happy-dance.

. . . _So much for who to place Shinji with,_ Gendo thought.

. . . "No true man would ever wear such provocative and effeminate - " the fat, balding bridge officer managed, before being kicked repeatedly in places he was never hit in his original series.

. . . Gendo was glad to see his requirement of steel-toed shoes for all NERV employees was paying off.

. . . Misato wandered in, wrapped in one of Ritsuko's lab coats, one elbow missing, bits of Misato's torn dress could be be seen as she clutched the coat closed. Bits of badly scratched Misato could also be seen. She glared hatefully at Ritsuko. "I hate you," she told the scientist hatefully.

. . . _Thought so,_ Gendo considered.

. . . "Tried to go after my cigarettes, didn't you?" Ritsuko teased, then turned her back on the Operations Commander.

. . . "So," Hotaru could be heard over the bridge speakers, "If you didn't want to be a pilot, what did you want to be?"

. . . "A butler actually," Shinji replied, "I'm happiest cleaning up, cooking meals, washing and ironing, that kind of thing."

. . . Gendo considered, _Perhaps I should rethink - _

. . . "No!" Ritsuko shouted, "He's mine!"

. . . "Your place is spotless! Mine's a pigsty," Misato screamed back.

. . . Gendo looked over the bridge and down at the catfight.

. . . "You'll be getting Kaji soon!" Ritsuko shouted as Misato pulled her hair, "The last one was so afraid of cats we had to put him to sleep before I could unpack my toys!"

. . . Gendo shuddered at that. _I thought about seducing her after her mother's funeral . . . but that room! The feathers and the ropes I could understand, but the engine lathe and the live alligator seemed - a bit much!_ "Professor, clear things up." He told his hapless assistant, then looked around.

. . . "I need help reorganizing my notes!" Fuyutsuki announced from within the fight, then screeched in pain and crawled away.

. . . Gendo glanced down. _Ah, two gorgeous women in a half-naked catfight, it's so sad this is just a text-only medium. This really deserves full-color, full-page spreads!_ he thought while he fumed, and Misato shrieked, _Oh, Ritsuko-sensei! That's mean, I'm glad I don't have one of those! I wouldn't want mine bitten. I guess Misato isn't the tactical genius we thought she was._

------------------------------

. . . Shinji pointed at the screen, while he pinched his nose closed so not to fill the L.C.L. with blood. "Do they always do that?" he asked Hotaru.

. . . "Uh, not outside the budget meetings," Hotaru replied.

. . . "There's the Angel," Shinji said, to distract himself from the scene in NERV command, "What do I do?"

. . . A green and white blur slammed into the Angel. Unit 00 tore the Angel's arms off and proceeded to tear the Angel into little pieces, scattering them over the city.

. . . "Uh, does she always fight that way?" Shinji asked, beginning to have serious doubts about this job and these people.

. . . "Not that I've seen," Hotaru said.

. . . A screen with Rei's picture on it appeared. Shinji heard Hotaru blink.

. . . "Oh. Rei-chan . . . that's a nice goth look. Very - you."

. . . The naturally pale girl nodded. "It was a compromise."

. . . _Is she supposed to look like Dracula's cute, little sister?_ Shinji didn't ask aloud, _She is a lot cuter that way though._

. . . "And, ah," Hotaru continued, "Good fight."

. . . "I suggested that when the Angel was defeated, Doctor Akagi could schedule a sync test with Unit 00 for Shinji."

. . . "Rei-chan," Hotaru tried to explain, "That could be interpreted to mean as soon as we get back to base, like right when we get back to base."

. . . "He has adequate stamina, or the Commander would not have chosen him."

. . . "You remember Hikari?" Hotaru asked.

. . . "She has recovered," Rei countered, "And has no memory of events."

. . . "That's not the point Rei-chan."

. . . Shinji quietly decided that he was going to get away from these people, as soon as possible.


End file.
